Scientists use stem cells to grow tiny human brains

It’s a medical breakthrough that sounds like something out of an old science fiction movie. You know, the ones where some mad scientist is growing a human organ out of a jar. Juergen Knoblich, a scientist at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Vienna, Austria, and colleagues did just that.

Using stem cells, a mix of nutrients and their scientific knowledge, these scientists created mini-brains, which measure about 4 millimeters or 0.16 inch. As small as the mini-brains are, they mean big things for future advances in studying diseases such as autism and schizophrenia.

Though there are still many flaws in these tiny brains, the flood gates to a world of scientific possibilities has been opened, so grab your rain boots because the future is here. All we need to do is keep an open mind to these tiny minds.